Smarter with the Years
by McGonagall's Bola
Summary: Nederlandse versie: Het Komt Met De Jaren. The difference some years could make and the consequences of it... Dani/Tom -REWRITTEN!


Dani hopelessly tried to hide a yawn as she pushed aside the sheets and settled into the bed. Tom's little laugh caressed her ear. "Tired?"

"A little," she admitted, as he thoughtfully threw the covers over both of them and pulled her close then. Her sea blue eyes had only just shut, when a flash of light illuminated their bedroom, and not much later the sound of thunder was audible. Dani sighed. Tom lightly laughed. He tenderly kissed her shoulder and rolled over on his back again. Their bedroom was being illuminated a few more times, and the raging sound of a thunderstorm and pouring rain continued on as they waited. They didn't get disappointed.

The door softly creaked open. "Mommy? Daddy?" As if by magic their daughter began crying as well. "I'm scared."

"I'll go," said Tom, while already getting upright. "I swear, we have spoiled them way too much," he added, easing his feet into his slippers. Their little son of four was waiting by the door opening with his chenille bear in his one hand, the other in his mouth. Tom lovingly picked him up and sat him wordlessly on the bed. He watched how his wife automatically pushed aside the covers again for him and continued toward the room of their daughter, who had in the meantime woken up because of the thunderstorm as well.

"I'm scared of thunderstorms," sounded the voice of their son as he pulled himself close to his mommy.

"That's fine, baby," Dani soothed, as she tenderly ran her hand through his hair. In appearance he was just like Tom, even though he was only four. Their daughter, who would be celebrating her third birthday next month, showed all appearance of her. In characteristics, they both appeared the perfect mix of them both – sadly enough no identical one. It happened multiple times a week – sometimes even a day – that brother and sister were almost literally in each other's hair. They could be sweet to each other, but usually they were fighting for the most ridiculous reasons.

Dani heard how the crying of their daughter discontinued, and how Tom's footsteps neared again. They were really in need of a far larger bed than their current one, Dani thought, as Tom walked into the bedroom again with their sleepy daughter on his arm and shut the door behind him. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room once again, and a particularly loud thunderbolt was hearable. Their daughter hid in her daddy's shoulder. "That's nothing," he said, "Mommy and Daddy are here." From the moment she had seen her mommy and her brother, the little girl began squirming, possibly driven by jealousy. Tom put her down on the bed carefully and watched how she crawled over to her beloved mommy and at once began pushing and pulling to steal the place of her brother. "Easy!" said Tom, as he himself got into bed again as well.

"Be careful for mommy's big belly," Dani warned, as she slowly turned herself so that both of her children had enough room.

"I swear that our little ones like you better over me."

"And why would that be…" Dani teased.

"Mommy, is my little sister awake?"

Dani chuckled. "No, baby. Your brother or sister is not awake. The little one has already done quite enough of its acrobatics today." As if to make sure the little girl put her hand on her mommy's big belly. When she effectively didn't feel anything after a few minutes, she felt entirely reassured and laid herself down again.

"Mommy, I don't want a… brother," she said in between two yawns. "If it is another brother, I won't love him."

Tom chuckled. "Then don't you love your big brother either?"

"But… yes, but…" The rest of her sentence was interrupted by her own yawning. Wordlessly, she then laid her head down again against her mommy's breast, and fell asleep as well, even though the lightning and thunder had not entirely ceased yet.

"And where am I supposed to lie now?" Tom wondered aloud. "Am I supposed to lie here all alone on my side of the bed while you three are nicely cuddled up over there?"

"I'm afraid so," said Dani and giggled.

Tom softly kissed her lips, and pulled himself close to his family… as good as was possible at least. Dani's big belly made it even more difficult than otherwise. No one would describe him as the family guy, but he would never regret those two little devils between them, nor the little one that was about to be born any moment now. "I love you."

"And I, you," said Dani, and sighed.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"We have lost years," said Dani. "I'm already over forty… and I'm going to be a mom again. I…"

"We're together now, aren't we?"

"Yes," said Dani, "Eventually."

"I would dare to bet that you would never have gotten such beautiful children otherwise," Tom teased as he tenderly caressed her cheek. "It has cost me years to find my senses, and sometimes I regret that not having happened sooner, but maybe it is better this way. Maybe we never would have gotten this far had we gotten together any sooner," reasoned Tom.

"Maybe," said Dani, as she yawned once again and fell asleep as well.

Tom sighed. "Well, that's four of five then. Now only me left."


End file.
